Her Tragic Ending
by Corpsegirl93
Summary: I've read so many great prequels about Emily's story before her death, and now it's my turn! Enjoy! Rated K for dark, forest/death moments
1. Chapter 1

"And what was wrong with that one, Emily?"

"Too old! And he smells like rotten fish."

"He wasn't _**that**_ bad."

"He had teeth missing! And anyway, I prefer someone close to my age and not yours!"

"He's not that much older than…"

"You? Father? Beatrice?"

"I was going to say…"

"Never mind. I'm not interested."

"Emily dear, don't _**I**_ get a say in this?"

"Don't take this the wrong way mother, but _**I'm**_ the one who's getting married. The bride gets a say as to who she marries – whether it's next week or in ten years' time."

Margaret Hunter sighed, rubbing her forehead with her long elegant jewelled fingers, watching her only daughter stand on the staircase, her light blue day dress cascading down the steps like a rivet of crystal water and her chocolate caramel hair flowing across her bare shoulders.

She had lost count how many times she had listened to Emily complaining about the lack of eligible bachelors in the village, whether it was their age, their status, their choice of clothing or their fragrance. The latest 'contestants' in the 'marriage game' had walked out of their door, either offended or disappointed by Emily's remarks. Not one of them were getting close to placing a ring on her finger or walking her down the aisle.

"Your father is not going to be happy. He's running out of men in the village."

"We'll have to stretch further than the village if you want me to find a suitable husband. There _**are**_ other places in this world" Emily groaned, taking another step up the stairs towards her room.

"Emily, I wish I could create a man to your demands. You know making you happy is my main priority and if I had the power, believe me, I would find you the best husband anyone would ever set eyes on. But I can't. You have to make deal with what there is."

Emily sighed. She knew her mother was right, and it made her smile that her mother wished her to be happy – but why did all the single men in the village be so old, too young, despicable, or ugly? It didn't make sense. Where were all the good-looking men?!

"Mother…I'm with you on that. If I could design a perfect man for myself, you know what he would look like."

"Tall, handsome, dark-haired, cares for the woman he loves and marries for love, not money. Everyone's prince charming." Margaret Hunter nodded.

"My Prince Charming. Created in a world of fantasy and desire. Only ever existent in my dreams" Emily sighed to herself. "I'm going upstairs. I need a lie down. That fish odour has given me a headache."

Emily continued to climb the stairs, feeling her dress trail behind her. As soon as she was out of her mother's sight, she rushed to her bedroom, flinging the door wide open and shutting it behind her with a firm slam. She leapt to her bed like a fish in to water, and lay there on her belly as still as a statue, her arms folded up to her chin and her eyes focused on the wall ahead.

"Only ever existent in my dreams" she repeated to herself. "Why can't dreams be reality?!"

Rolling over on to her back, Emily dreamt of her prince charming – wherever or whoever he was. Finding her as the princess locked away in the tower, rescuing her from realities harsh truths and whisking her away to an exotic part of the world where only love, life and each other mattered. But no! Judging by the number of bachelors that came through their door, the definition of 'prince charming' was someone with money – never mind their scent, name or look. That's all everyone assumed marriage was about in today's society – wealth.

"They don't know about anything besides money."

Peeling herself off her bed and throwing her wavy curls over her shoulder, Emily walked over to her bedroom balcony, opening the French windows wide and embracing the fresh air that radiated across the village.

Taking deep breaths and tossing her head back to let the air through her hair; Emily gazed up at the sky and inspected the wispy white clouds that floated high above. Oh, how she wished she could fly high amongst those clouds. Like a free spirit. With only the air between her wings. Wings. 'What wings?' she thought. 'The wings on a little butterfly – delicate, blue, beautiful, fragile and feminine.' Everything a girl could be.

"Dreams and reality are two separate worlds Emily" she told herself, dragging her eyes away from the sky and looking down upon the village square, lightly buzzing with life and laughter. The little children playing with their wooden toys, the friendly dogs barking and the recognisable faces enjoying an afternoon stroll…all familiar faces except one. The face of a tall, dark-haired man, strolling around proudly with a crisp, clean, well-tailored suit, complete with glistening shoes, a brand new top hat and sparkling rings on his fingers.

Emily was in awe. No one in this village fit a face like that. He must be new, judging by the way he was observing the grand houses surrounding him. His dark mysterious eyes scanned over each and every brick and window before he clasped his eyes on Emily's house.

The Hunter's mansion.

And his eyes caught sight of Emily – standing proudly on her balcony like Juliet looking for her Romeo. And he smiled. Smiled at Emily, who simply gazed back at his dark mysterious eyes that took in every detail of her. She was amazed. In reaction to catching sight of her, the stranger brought his hand to his hat, pinching it at the rim and bringing it down from his head, revealing his dark locks of hair, smoothed back in a well-crafted manner.

"Tall, handsome and dark-haired." Emily murmured to herself. As the gentleman nodded courteously to her, Emily could only react by raising her hand and waving gently, smiling that flirtatious smile she had been known for.

Suddenly, emotion took over and Emily found herself bounding off the balcony, down the corridors of her home, down the stairs, through the front door and out in to the village square, catching sight of the spot where the gentleman once stood.

But he was nowhere in sight. Nowhere to be seen.


	2. Chapter 2

Emily's racing heart suddenly dropped. Her expectations and hopes had been taken away in a matter of seconds. Closing the front door behind her and feeling the slight chill of the air on her arms, Emily wandered out in to the village, watching the young children play around her, giggling and running like it was their last day alive. She folded her arms across her chest and let the wind blow her curls about as she stepped closer to the village fountain, finding a seat at its edge.

The coldness of the concrete stones seeped through her dress and chilled Emily to the bone, as she gazed down in to the slow trickling water of the fountain, noticing the wishing coins glistening at the bottom, like a diamond mosaic. She noticed her reflection in the water's surface and gazed at every detail. The curve of her chin. The point of her perfect nose. Every curl in her hair and every single little black eyelash.

And then…her reflection became two. To her left, a new face appeared in the water. That of the mysterious stranger. His dark hair came out in more detail than before – small strands of grey starting to seep their way through – and the way his nose curved. At first Emily wondered what made her so charmed by the man, but the way his eyes glistened and his lips curved to a seductive smile, the wonders vanished and replaced themselves with fascination. Emily slowly turned her body away from the fountain water and towards this anonymous man, keeping her eyes trained on whatever part of the man she saw first. With a quick and swift movement, Emily brought her eyes to look up, coming in contact with the man's face – every precise detail making an appearance.

"You found me" he smirked, his first words to her sounding smooth and silky.

"_**You**_ found _**me**_" Emily returned, beginning to stand before the gentleman, announcing her height as she came face to face with him, her eyes coming level with his bulging chin.

"Indeed. Though I'd like to think we found each other. Almost like a destined fate."

"Almost. My name is Emily, sir. _**Miss**_ Emily Hunter." Emily held an arm forward, hoping the stranger would know his manners and kiss her hand politely.

"Miss Emily. My name is Barkis Bittern. _**Lord **_Barkis Bittern" he replied, taking Emily's hand in his, gladly caressing it with his lips in a courteous manner.

"A _**Lord**_?" Emily practically beamed. "Such a man of your status has never been seen in these parts of the village."

"That is because, my dear Miss Emily, I am new to these parts. I arrived just yesterday afternoon. My…_**mansion**_…is just a few streets away."

"Your mansion?"

"Yes, my dear. My mansion."

"Your…lady companion is a very lucky woman to be married to such a gentleman" Emily batted her eyelids, hoping what Lord Barkis said next was what she wanted to hear. And it was.

"Alas my dear, I am not married. I am a bachelor. A lonely man wishing to share his…fortunes and luck with…someone very special. A special young woman, to be preferred."

Result! He was single, rich and looking for love and companionship!

"And I am sure you shall find your lucky lady in the near future, Lord Barkis…if not, very soon."

Emily found this the perfect opportunity to play 'reel-him-in'. She smiled her flirtatious smile to Lord Barkis, and taking a small stride away from him, feeling his eyes bearing in to her, waited for:

"Miss Emily…where do you think you are going?"

Again, result!

"Home, Lord Barkis. My parents will be wondering where their one and only _**bachelorette**_ daughter is. Farewell…for now" Emily said, turning away once again and resumed walking back towards her house.

"But Miss Emily…when shall I see you again?" Lord Barkis asked.

"But Lord Barkis, are you _**sure**_ you will be seeing me again?" Emily teased.

"Oh I am very sure. If not, very soon" he smirked in response.

Emily smiled once more, batting her eyelids some more, certain she had a definite candidate for a future husband. She walked away, leaving Lord Barkis by the village fountain, closing the space between her and the front door of her home.

As she embraced the entrance to her home, she decided to add one more flirtatious charm, and tossed her caramel hair over her shoulder and looked back to Lord Barkis, showing off her pearly-white teeth, hoping she would astound him and add more seduction to the situation.

As Emily disappeared through her front door, closing it behind her, she failed to notice one small gesture that would change her future forever. As the train of her dress disappeared, she failed to notice Lord Barkis' sweet, seductive, charming smile fade to a more gruesome, devilish and menacing smirk. His eyes filled with greed, as he watched the young, vulnerable beauty disappear for the day. He had a plan. A most brilliant and cunning plan.


	3. Chapter 3

Two days later:

"His name is Barkis Bittern. He's new to the village, he's a Lord and he's a bachelor!" Emily explained to her parents, as they sat by the fireplace that evening.

"But does he want to marry for love, Emily?"

"I don't know mother. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't."

"And if he doesn't? What if he only wants to marry to show off the beauty on his arm?" her father asked.

"He didn't _**seem**_ to want to marry for money."

"What do you know about this man, Emily dearest? Other than what you've already told us?" her mother questioned.

"Well…nothing much…really…I only know what I've told you."

"You need to know this man before you marry him, dear."

"I know I do…but I can't be a bachelorette forever. I want to be married! I want a loving husband, a family of my own and a house to live it all in!" Emily practically squealed, picturing the sight of her and Lord Barkis in a large mansion, surrounded by beautiful children, the sun shining and everything being so perfect.

"You can have that all, my dearest, but have it with the correct and ideal man" her father noted.

"And what is not ideal about Lord Barkis?" she asked.

"You've only just met him dear. He seemed charming and a true gentleman in public, but you don't know what he's like behind closed doors. He could be an absolute brute of a man!"

"But he could be…" Emily began, before her father interrupted.

"Enough! All of this debating is giving me a headache. Final words Emily, you are not marrying this man until I know he is of a suitable kind."

"Meaning?!" Emily cried.

"Meaning we approve of him."

"Ugh!" Emily groaned in disappointment.

"Don't disobey your father's orders, Emily dear. You never know, just as you think this Lord Barkis is the one, another might grab your attention?"

"Another one? Like who? There is no one else in this village worthy of marrying me! No one that is too young, too old, too ugly, or reeks of fish!"

"And what makes Lord Barkis different from them?" her father asked, curious to hear his daughters answer. "How old is he Emily?"

"I…I don't know. He doesn't look old."

"Looks can be deceiving" her mother sighed.

"Yes…he may appear as the unlikely lover, but turns out to be the one who gets away! This is ridiculous! Why are you being so judgmental?"

"Because you are our only daughter and we want what's best for you – whether it takes us five days or five decades, we will find you the perfect man to be your husband."

"But I can't wait five decades! I can't even wait for one week! I want to be married, mother."

"And you will be darling. Just don't do jumping to conclusions before you get to know someone."

"This is so outrageous!"

Emily stormed upstairs, leaving her parents behind to watch her sulk away to her room. The inky night sky had enveloped the world and shadowed the corridors that Emily walked down, listening to her footsteps echo on the floor as she found her bedroom door, slamming it firmly behind to make sure her parents knew she was annoyed.

"Just outrageous!" she yelled to herself as the door slammed shut. She stared at the door, expecting her mother to walk in and say she was lying the whole time and that she could marry the Lord. But no. She didn't walk in. Only silence and hushed whispers were heard from downstairs as Emily stood still as a statue, listening to her gentle breathing, her heart beating loudly in her chest from all of the arguing and shouting.

She was left alone in her room, with only the fireplace and candles burning dimly, adding a warm glow to the chilly night. Emily rubbed her arms as she looked deeply in to one candle, watching the flame flicker like a single dragons tongue, trying to warm herself with the little heat it resonated. Nope, didn't work.

Why didn't they understand? Why they didn't realise that she was falling in love? Were they too pompous or arrogant to see that their only daughter was happy? Maybe. Emily wished, at that moment, that she had parents that understood her. She sat herself down at her dressing table, her head in one hand, sighing deeply.

"They never listen. Never understand" she said to her reflection in the mirror. Her face, the image of disappointment, unhappiness, wishful thinking and desires stared back at her.

"What are you looking at?" she felt like saying, teasing herself and listening to the sounds of her room. Her room was filled with the distant sound of her parents chatter and the crackle of the dying fireplace. And some sort of tapping noise close to the window. Emily looked over to see small stones, no bigger than her little fingernail, slowly appearing at the window and peppering it with their tap, tap tapping rhythm.

"What on Earth?" she whispered to herself, rising from her dressing table stool and wandering over to her balcony window, where she opened the doors and looked out, out in to the evening darkness and down below to see…Lord Barkis. Standing below her balcony with a little heap of stones in his hand, looking up and smiling at the sight of her.

"Emily!" he called out.

"Lord Barkis? What are you doing here?" she called back, silencing her cry to a hushed whisper.

"I had to see you" he responded.

"Well, here I am" Emily returned.

"I need to give you something."

"Give me something? Like a present?"

"No, sadly. But something worthwhile and meaningful. This" he said, retrieving a square piece of paper from his jacket pocket, and holding it up to her.

"I can't reach it you know" Emily rolled her eyes.

"Then come down to me." Barkis suggested.

"Or come up to me?" Emily teased, turning her flirtatious charm on.

"I cannot risk being seen by your parents."

"Neither can I, they'll get suspicious."

"So what do I do?"

Emily looked over her shoulder to her bedroom door, listening to the faint and distant sound of her parents going to bed. If she left her room now, they'd see her and suspect her. And she couldn't wait until they were asleep and keep Lord Barkis waiting outside for hours, doing nothing. And then…she turned back to Lord Barkis who fumbled with the letter in his hands.

"Leave it at the back door. I'll come down when my parents are asleep." She told him, watching him listen to every word she said.

"And you'll read it?"

"Of course."

"And follow its instructions?"

"If I agree to them, yes" Emily answered, beginning to suspect what inky, informative words lay upon this piece of paper.

"Good. Good" Barkis replied. He looked around the village, seeing how deserted it was before looking up back at Emily, and smiling. He then slipped away in to the night, round the corner of Emily's house, and was never seen again.

Emily knew he had disappeared in to the night and that she wouldn't see him until…well, whatever his instructions in the letter said. What did he write? What did it say? Was it some sort of confession? A poem? In a few hours, she would know.

Three hours later:

Darkness and silence had enveloped the Hunter mansion. Lord and Lady were asleep, the servants silent in their dorms and Emily sat upright in her bed, dressed in her nightclothes, counting the seconds in her head as she held a small pocket watch in her hands, watching the hands by go round – tick tick tick tock tock tock.

Until the minute hand struck twelve, and it became two o clock in the morning. Without a moment's hesitation, Emily leapt from her bed, throwing aside the bed covers and feeling her nightgown trail behind her as she crossed her room to her bedroom door. Pressing her ear to the door, she heard only silence and the low hum of her father snoring, stealing a quick smirk at the satisfaction, knowing she was safe to make her move.

Creep…creep…tip-toe…tip-toe…pitter patter…pitter patter…down the stairs she went step by step, her bare feet pressing against the cool stone of the floor. Just feet…inches…centimetres away from reaching that letter, opening it and reading what words he had written, for her eyes only.

There it was! Sitting by the back door, having been shoved under the door in the thin gap there was. Sealed with red wax and with her name written smoothly and elegantly in jet black ink, Emily knelt down grasped the letter in both hands, admiring the handwriting and symbol imprinted. She didn't waste any more time and risk, so with the letter in her hands, she sprinted back upstairs, taking care that her footsteps were nothing more than tap-tap-taps against the stone staircase.

She sat on the edge of her bed, warmly illuminated by the candlelight, her hair flowing over her shoulders, holding the letter in her hands like it was a fragile, thin piece of glass that would snap at any sign of movement.

"_Open it! Open it! Open it Emily!"_

What would he write to me?

"_You have to open it to find out!"_

So she did. Tearing off the seal and forcing the letter out of its envelope, Emily snapped open the letter and started reading that elegant handwriting. It said:

My dearest Emily,

Since our meeting, I have not stopped thinking about you. Your dazzling smile echoes across my mind every day, as does your laughter and your radiant beauty. Words cannot describe how enamoured I have become over you, but hopefully these few words should begin to describe it.

I love you. Marry me.

The first few days since we said goodbye have been torture for me, and I want you to be with me for the rest of our lives. I want to spend every waking moment next to you, and I long to hear you say yes to my proposal. If you agree and want to be my wife, and spend the rest of eternity with me as much as I do with you, then meet me by the village fountain tomorrow at noon. If you refuse, I shall take this to the heart and move on. Life without you is not life at all.

I hope to see you there tomorrow, my darling.

My heart is yours,

Lord Barkis Bittern

"_Marriage? Oh my goodness! He proposed…OK, maybe not the most romantic of ways, but still! He wants to marry me! Breathe Emily, breathe! You still have to tell him yes!"_


	4. Chapter 4

Emily waited, and waited. It was two minutes until noon and no sign of Lord Barkis anywhere. She held the letter tightly in her grasp, re-reading the words over and over again in her mind. Her heart raced every time she came to the same words – "I love you. Marry me". It was pure adrenaline for her. She told her parents she was going out to lay flowers on her grandmother's grave in the local cemetery in the forest. A lie, obviously. She was far from the cemetery and most definitely not going there any time soon.

The loud, monstrous sound of the village clock tower echoed across the village, as the clock hands struck twelve, and morning was replaced with afternoon. It was now twelve o clock.

Yet no sign of Lord Barkis. Was he late? Was he delayed?

_Be patient Emily, it's only been noon for ten seconds!_

Emily squirmed on the hard stone edge of the fountain, feeling the cold seep through the fabric of her skirt, listening to the trickle of the water, gently calming her slowly rising nerves. She spun her head in all directions, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man she would call her fiancée, and soon her husband. Down every street, every alleyway, every corner and shop entrance that he might be loitering around.

_Where is he? Did he change his mind? Oh no, he's found another woman he loves more! Oh great! I'm going to die a lonely woman with only a budgie and a load of cats to keep me company! No fairy-tale wedding, no bridesmaids, no dream life of love. It was all one big fantasy._

"You came" a voice said behind her.

Her heart fluttered in her chest and her pulse raced when she heard that voice, creeping up behind her like a hungry fox amongst the chickens. She knew he would come, he had to. What man in their right mind would infatuate a girl in to marrying him, then run away for no apparent reason? Unless he came to break up with her? Maybe that's why he was late? He was dreading telling her the bad news and strayed back to find his courage. No, he wouldn't. He couldn't. Could he?

"I was worried you weren't coming" Emily answered.

"What makes you think that I wasn't coming?" he replied.

"You were late. You said twelve noon by the fountain. It's five minutes past noon."

"Five minutes never hurt anyone" he said.

"If you say so." Emily replied, keeping her back towards him. "Though I should hope you won't be late on our wedding day. I don't want to kept waiting at the altar" she teased.

"You won't be. I'll be there to watch you walk down the aisle. You're saying yes, then?"

"What else would I say? I can hardly say no" Emily answered, taking this opportunity to turn around and face Lord Barkis – him and his piercing eyes staring at her.

"You've made me a very happy man Emily."

"Wait until the wedding night" she teased, pouting her lips and tossing her hair back flirtatiously.

"That's the thing. I can't wait. If I had the opportunity, I would marry you here and now" he answered, taking small steps forward so he came face to face with her, taking a seat beside her at the fountain.

"I would too, if…" Emily began, remembering her father's words.

"If what?" he asked.

"If I had my father's permission" she added, bowing her head slightly, gazing down at her finger nails.

"Your father's permission?"

"He disagrees that I should be rushing in to a marriage where I do not know the man I intend to wed enough. He refuses to allow me to marry you on such short notice."

"Short notice?"

"Yes. So, unless you meet him…" Emily began, and instantly she noticed how Lord Barkis' eyes widened, almost with fear.

"What?" she asked.

"I cannot meet your father. What would he think of me?"

"That is the purpose of introducing you two to one another. So he has an idea of what you're like and see that we are fit to marry."

"I don't know Emily."

"Maybe if you gave it a chance? Why are you being so hesitant?"

"One chance is all I need to ruin everything."

"But, maybe…"

"No 'maybes' Emily, darling. I cannot meet your father, and that is final."

"Why not?"

"I just…I just…cannot! Simply cannot! I'm not good at convincing people to like me."

"Well, if not my father, then my mother?"

"And if _**she**_ disapproves?" Barkis asked.

"Well then…there'd be no other option."

They were silent for a moment, the trickling fountain water being the only sound heard in the village. Emily looked at Barkis, seeing his head bowed in deep thought as she felt disappointed and let down that such an obstacle as her father was stopping her from achieving her biggest desire. That was, until Barkis raised his head, eagerness and excitement in his eyes. He turned to Emily, edging closer to her as he placed his hand on her hands that rested in her lap.

"There is one option." He began.

"Which is?"

"We can elope?"

"Elope? You mean 'run away'?"

"Think of it as being rebellious. Grabbing life at the best opportunity."

"It's running away!"

"For love" Barkis added. "Running away for love. Don't you want to start a new life away from here, away from everything that's holding you back? Start a new life with me. We can be married, have children, watch them grow, live our lives together in perfect harmony like we're living a dream. But it will be reality. It will be us. You and me, together forever. Don't think of it as running away; think of it as living the dream. Or would you rather stay here for the rest of your life and never do anything spontaneous? What do you say Emily?" he added, staring intently deep in to her eyes. Emily sat there, dazed by Barkis' words but emotionally affected by the images he had put in to her head.

She could picture it now. Them, in their own home, watching their children play as they looked over the summer horizon, listening to the sounds of their children's playful cries. She wanted that. She wanted it so badly that she was…willing to go ahead with an elopement? Really? Could she go through with it? In her heart, she couldn't stand the idea of staying in the same place for the whole of her life, and she wanted to have a love, marriage, children to make her life complete. Well, none of those things would be accomplished in this village, not unless she did something…spontaneous.

"I say I do" she said beaming.


	5. Chapter 5

The next night: Emily's P.O.V.

What else could I say?

"Sorry Barkis, but I'd sooner grow old and live with a group of tabby cats?"

No chance! I was grabbing my opportunity to happiness and freedom and I was taking the risks along the way.

Mother and father knew nothing of the affair. No one knew – just me and Barkis. It was all very secret and private. Just moments after I said 'I do', Barkis had the biggest smile on his face that I had ever seen – filled with relief, joy and happiness. I'd never seen anyone smile like him like he did in that moment. He promised me he'd buy me a proper engagement ring as soon as we arrived at the nearest jeweller that wasn't in the village. I had no idea where he intended for us to go. He told me that he'd organise a horse and carriage to take us away – tonight! – and that he'd find us a priest to marry us as soon as we laid eyes on a church.

So, needless to say, I objected saying I wasn't going to marry unless I had a gown. And at such short notice, where does a girl go to buy a wedding dress without raising suspicion until she has departed? There was only one option, and honestly, I didn't like it.

Mother's wedding gown. I adored it from the moment I laid eyes on it when I was a child – the way its white beauty seemed to illuminate the dull grey backdrop of her wardrobe, filled with dark, dingy colours but the dress – on its own – managed to enlighten the space like the moonlight radiated through my bedroom window at night.

So – with that in mind – I followed my instructions as to what had to be done and what was needed. It appeared to me in the form of a mental list:

Clothes, including shoes

Jewellery – family, preferably

Money – plenty of it

My wedding outfit – gown, shoes, veil, gloves and bouquet.

The list was very short, but therefore easy to remember. Barkis had agreed we should meet at a local point around 2am. I suggested the bridge but he said we'd be spotted by passers-by. _**"At 2am?"**_ I had thought, but he insisted we met in the graveyard, by the old oak tree in the woods. He was constantly insistent about where we met, no matter how many places I had suggested: the bridge, the church doorways, the edge of the woods, by the village fountain, or even outside the old butchers (which I heard was soon to be converted in to a fishmongers by some local family-run business – Van Fort? Van Dert? Some name similar to that.) Anyway, Barkis decided – despite my objections – to meet in the woods. Five minutes after, he disappeared, grinning from ear to ear with excitement. In the time between us departing, I made a second mental list about what order to do things in:

Organise my clothes and possessions.

Pack some food for the journey.

Write a letter for Mum and Dad?

The last one was a question because I couldn't decide whether to do it or not. If I did, they would surely come after me and convince me not to go ahead. If I didn't, they would be left wondering where I disappeared to and why, worried to the core about if I was to return and if so, when? It upset me too much to picture my mother sitting in her armchair, grasping my letter and crying her eyes out, wishing she knew more. My father? I saw him as always, as if nothing happened but inside, deep down I knew he would be emotionally affected by it all. So that was it. I wasn't going to write a goodbye note. Besides, they would be too suspicious and immediately know that I disappeared with Barkis. I would only be adding more fuel to the fire by explaining it all on paper. Decision made: no letter.

So with time running out, I grabbed the dress before mother and father came to bed, prepared myself for the departure and counted down the minutes until I left behind my life for a new one.

And so, here I am. The time is 2.20am, and I find myself sitting by the old oak tree next to the graveyard, waiting for my lover. I was twenty minutes late but Barkis was nowhere to be seen…yet. He'd be here soon, I knew he wouldn't let me down. He showed up at the fountain today to accept our engagement, why would he depart from me now? He'll be here. He'd better be here soon! This wedding gown doesn't do any favours. A bare shoulders, strapless corset with a thin material skirt and no shoulder covering does not assist in keeping me warm. But the thought of that warm horse-drawn carriage made it all worthwhile. I could picture it now. A dark chestnut coloured wood carriage, plush velvet seats, white lace curtains complete with a light brown…white?...dark grey?...no, dark brown horse standing proudly at the front, awaiting its instructions to whisk away the happy couple.

And what if it was a black horse? Either way, as long as it has four legs and understands its driver's orders, I don't care. As long as it is warm inside, I don't care.

My suitcase sits beside me, almost bulging at the seams with the large amount of possessions stuffed inside. Clothes, jewels, money, bit and bobs of mine that I cannot leave behind. Childs toys that began to hibernate at the back of my wardrobe, diaries from my younger years, reading books, and little bits from fond memories that I kept behind to help me remind myself of those fun times: like the tickets from my first ballet performance on my eleventh birthday, or a single pearl that fell from my favourite bracelet. My favourite thing was a piece of paper, covered with pencil scribbles and doodles when my friends and I were stuck inside during a rain storm and all we had for our entertainment was that piece of paper and a single pencil. All the books were read, the jigsaw puzzles had been completed, the cooks refused to let us help them in the kitchen, the butlers were resting, mother and father were sitting by the fire reading and the hallway echoed with the sound of the grandfather clock ticking. What could three girls do at a time like that when there was nothing to do? So we had found that single piece of paper and began scribbling like our lives depended on it. Little childish scribbles like funny faces, woodland trees, the sun, a fish, a boat or a dog.

My friends Maggie and Helena were always very extravagant and eccentric when it came to art, so you could tell between their scribbles and mine – compare the wild to the elegant and precise sketches and you knew who drew what. Somehow that piece of paper made its way in to my memory box and had been there ever since. Who knew that such wonderful memories could be held on a single and simple thing as paper? I never knew it could, until I was reunited with the loveable thing just half an hour ago. Now I wondered where Maggie and Helena were now. Were they married, with children? Still bachelorettes at their age and living at home with their parents? Whatever they were up to, I hope they were happy.

Oh, where are you Barkis? It's nearly 2.40am and the cold isn't getting any warmer. It's unbearable. The cold _**and**_ wondering where you are. The forest is dark, gloomy, mysterious and somewhat haunted. The fact that I'm sitting next to a bunch of graves isn't helping. I feel like I can sense the hands of the buried dead trying to reach out for free, clawing their way through wood and dirt just to grab hold of me and drag me down with them. Why am I feeling this? What can explain this idea? This reality nightmare? Doubts? Did I really want to do this? No. It's just the cold, playing with my mind. Making me think such absurd things. Just a little worry brought on by the cold…and the surroundings.

What was that?

I just saw something move. In amongst the trees, hidden by the dark. Something large and tall. Almost like a giant cloaked in inky blackness. Barkis? Could it be him? What other creature known to man would resemble a giant like him? Certainly not a squirrel or a wild deer. No, it had to be him. He's on his way. He's coming. I knew he would…but where did he go? I saw that shape move just seconds ago but where is it now? Now there's no one else out here except for me.

I turned around…and he was there! Standing behind me, towering over me like a predator after its prey, his eyes dark and clouded, his top hat adding to his monstrous height and his black cloak wrapped around him like a blanket.

"Aaaahhh!" I screamed in shock, my cries echoing across the woods like a resonating church bell, only more shrill and distressed. At the sudden sound of me screaming, he lunged forward, revealing his long, thin fingers from hiding under his cloak and clasped them over my mouth. Instantly, I was gagged and reduced to silence as he looked around the woods, suspiciously.

"It's me. Don't scream. People might here you."

I nodded in agreement, and felt as he slowly lowered his hand from my mouth, the cold winter air instantly hitting my lips.

"Barkis! Darling, you scared me."

"Apologies my dear. It seems the dark and cold do not do me any favours." He stared down at me, gazing all over my body. I then realised he was looking at my dress.

"You look so beautiful, my darling. The most beautiful bride ever. My bride."

I was flattered and touched by his words, a warm sensation rising in my belly as she continued to stare over me until his gaze dropped across my luggage.

"Did you bring everything required?"

"I did, yes. Have you organised a carriage?" I asked, eager to feel the warmth of that carriage that I had fantasised about in the last half an hour.

"I have" he nodded. It should be waiting for us at the edge of the woods by now. I came here to collect you, and to whisk you away to a life you never imagined could happen."

Such words of wonder! 'A life I never imagined'. How fantastic!

He turned his back to me as I bent down to pick up my suitcase, recollecting the weight of it and realising just how weak I was when my limbs were cold. I took hold of the handle with both hands, before seeing a shadow of Barkis' hand coming down upon my own. He settled it lightly on my hands, and I looked up to confront him as he gazed in to my eyes.

Those eyes that I came to love – so handsome and dazzling – were now dark, heavy and filled with evil. He looked at me with a gruesome smile painted on his face, the darkness of the night and shadows of the woods only making him appear more devilish and hideous. I was horrified at the sight of him, but when he opened his mouth, my fear of his appearance were nothing compared to the fear I felt at that moment when he said:

"You won't be needing that, my dear."

His voice made my skin crawl. It was like I was facing another man – a darker side of the gentleman I came to love. Yet though I was quivering with fear, I was mesmerized by his eyes and I found myself slowly standing up, releasing my hands from the grip on my suitcase. My feet started moving in sync with Barkis' – as he moved towards me, I moved back, step by step. I didn't feel the urge to scream or shout, I merely watched him creep closer like a stalking tiger. Step by step, he came closer.

"What are you doing Barkis?" I asked, trying not to sound scared but failing as my voice came out in a nervous shriek, like a mouse cornered by a hungry cat.

Several steps later, I was far away from my suitcase, still hypnotized by Barkis' eyes, before finding myself up against the tree. I couldn't go anywhere else. I was trapped. I snapped out of my trance to confirm how trapped I was. No space in front or to my sides to escape from him. He approached ever closer, closing the space between us.

In a quick sudden flash of movement, he was inches away from touching me. He thrust his arms either side of my head, smacking the tree trunk with an almighty thwack! I could feel his hot breath on my cold skin, then suddenly one hand on my cheek, roughly grabbing me before lunging in for a kiss. I was too shocked to notice this happening before it was too late. By the time my head had registered the kiss, he was pulling away and smiling devilishly.

Slowly sweeping aside his cloak, revealing his finely crafted waistcoat, he reached his hand in to a secret pocket tucked close to his chest…that concealed a very large knife. The blade of the knife glistened in the moonlight like diamonds, dazzling me. I knew what was going to happen, but still I didn't scream. Who was going to hear me? At this time of night? When no one knew I was here…not even my own mother and father. I was alone. Afraid, scared, cold and alone. And soon to be dead.

My legs lost all strength of holding me up, and slowly I started slipping down the tree trunk, becoming smaller in Barkis' eyes and watching him grow and tower before me. He never stopped smiling, and I knew why. He'd got me. He made me believe I was worthy of his love – if he had any feeling of love – and let me down at the point of no return. He had me believe that my fantasies of romance, love, marriage and eternal happiness would actually come true. No they wouldn't. Not now. Would they ever? Not unless my perfect man swooped in at this very moment, stronger than Barkis, saving me like the princess locked in the tower. I could picture him: tall, handsome, dark-haired and possibly skinny, with perfect eyes, a silky voice and manners so flawless. Would he ever rescue me? Would anyone ever rescue me? Would the damsel in distress ever find her one true love? I made a vow then and there, that in this life or the next, I would find my prince charming. Regardless how long it took, I will find him. Or he will find me? I hope so.

Barkis held the knife above me, like he was taking aim. I was now at the base of the tree, hot tears streaming down my face and my limbs quivering with the cold and fear. My fingers were numb, my lips were sore, my head was pounding with pain and my feet trembled as snow leaked in to my shoes. I was consumed with terror, with no way of escaping it – except in death.

And that's what came next. My death. Barkis took one last look at me, his eyes growing ever darker, saliva seeping from his mouth and down his chin, only adding to his demonic image. He grasped the knife with both hands and raised it high above his head.

"Sleep tight, my dear" he said, his voice cackling with evil.

In one last attempt to show my remaining strength, I raised my left arm high in a bid to block out the sight of his face, spreading my fingers wide, catching sight of the finger I imagine would hold the 'loop of love' – my wedding ring. It was bare, and always would be from now on. No wedding ring to glisten in the sunlight. Just a bare finger.

I was a lost soul, a fool in love, a girl manipulated with tales of promise and fantasy. I was inches away from being a bride, and now I would never reach that goal.

_Face it Emily, you'll never be a bride. _

_Not unless some miracle happened between now and the end of my afterlife!_

_Sure, because a handsome prince was going to ride in and sweep me off my feet, riding off with me in to the sunset. Get rid of the fantasies, girl! It's only meant for books, not reality. There is nothing more you can do than accept your fate, and look forward to the afterlife. It seems now you have no choice._

"Goodbye" Barkis said, lunging towards me with great strength.

And so, with the tears running hot down my cheeks, the cold pricking my skin, my dress soaked by the snow, and my arm trembling with my remaining strength, I took my last breath, filling my lungs with all of the winter air I could grasp. I gave it all my might, filling the empty woods with the sound of my cries as Barkis lunged at me!

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

(Narrator)

And then there was silence. Blackness. Empty space. Cold air. Moonlight. Nothing more. A thin layer of snow blanketed the hard, earthy ground of the forest, dotted with thick chunky trees.

There was no one around to be seen, but signs of life showed in the snow.

Two sets of footprints. A large pair belonging to a man, and a smaller set of ladies heeled shoes. Though only the man's footprints showed him walking to the tree trunk and walking away in the opposite direction, bypassing a large rectangular shape outlined in the snow.

The ladies footprints stopped at the tree trunk, leaving the imagination to wonder where did she step next? But there was no sign of more footprints anywhere. There was nothing.

Just a large, old oak tree, covered in snow, its roots bulging at the ground.

No other sign of life.

Except for a thin gloved arm poking out of the ground.

THE END.

**Thoughts? Opinions? Please review guys! I always love your comments :D**


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